1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to baseball training devices, and, more specifically, to a training device for perfecting the baseball swing of the batter.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, baseball is a sport widely played in the United States, Canada, Japan and many parts of South America, in which a series of batters attempt, in turn, to swing a bat and make contact with a baseball thrown by a “pitcher” from the opposing team. The baseball is typically thrown by the pitcher, at least in the Major Leagues, from a pitcher's mound located a distance of sixty feet, six inches from home plate where the batter stands. This distance is shorter for younger players.
Common mistakes made by batters include: loading with the upper body (by rotating the shoulders instead of just taking the hands back), barring with the lead arm which does not allow the hands to take the proper path down to the ball, and casting of the bat head which causes the batter to roll the top hand over too soon.
There have been many attempts to provide training devices that aid players in improving their swing. Many training devices previously known in the field are difficult to use, often too heavy and complex to be used efficiently. The devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,402 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,916, for example, comprise large structures with a suspension arm extending over the head of the batter. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,402 suspends a ball from the over-head arm for a batter to swing at; U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,916 provides a drive-arm with a baseball bat that offers resistance to the batter during a swing. These devices are large and have numerous moving parts, making them difficult to store and maintain. In addition, neither device trains the batter in using appropriate technique.
Another type of training device found in the prior art are those that require a player to swing at a target area, potentially causing injury to the player or damage to the device with inadvertent swings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,131, U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,039 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,990 disclose devices comprising two parallel bars between which a ball is placed. The goal of these devices is to train the batter to keep the bat level during a swing. If the bat is kept level and at the right height, the bat will travel between the bars and hit the ball. However, swings that are not level or at the wrong height will result in the batter striking the training device, potentially causing injury or damage. In addition, these devices allow the batter to take inappropriate steps during the course of the swing, such as loading with the upper body, barring with the lead arm and casting the bat head.
Yet another type of training device found in the prior art pertains to devices that do not provide a realistic batting experience because they limit or guide the swing only during select steps that occur in the course of a full baseball swing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,255 discloses a tube into which a bat is inserted at the beginning of a swing. The tube is positioned behind the batter and the bat is inserted to position the bat to start the swing. The bat is pulled out of the tube as the batter swings the bat. This device only shows the batter the correct height for a bat at the start of a swing; it does not train the batter to start a swing using appropriate form and it does not offer any training or feedback throughout the course of the swing. Other devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,852 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,384 provide a curved bar that the batter slides a bat along during the course of a swing. These devices guide the course of the bat during a swing, but still allow the batter to take inappropriate steps during the course of the swing, such as loading with the upper body, barring with the lead arm and casting the bat head.